Falklands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula

Unforgettable journeys,tailor-made for you.

Falklands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula

This comprehensive 20-day Antarctic cruise itinerary will give you the chance to explore the fjords, glaciers and snow-capped mountains of South Georgia, hike the rugged terrain of the Falkland Islands, and discover the spectacular scenery and Polar wildlife of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Sail through the scenic Beagle Channel, enjoying a leisurely first evening on board the cruise ship.

Day 2-3: At Sea

The next 2 days are spent at sea, following the prevailing Westerlies en route to the Falklands. Expect to see several species of Albatross, Storm Petrels, Shearwaters and Diving Petrels, which accompany the ship with the prevailing winds.

A hike along the Shore of Carcass Island will give us a chance to see Magellanic and Gentoo-Penguins in their natural habitat, as well as close encounters with water fowl and Night Herons and Passerines. In addition, on Saunders we will be able to observe four species of breeding penguins (Gentoo, King, Magellanic and Rockhopper), Black-browed Albatrosses and King Cormorants.

As we enter the Antarctic waters, we can expect the temperature to drop by as much as 10 degrees in the span of only a few hours. Near the Convergence, you can usually see a multitude of southern seabirds close to the ship, among them several species of Albatross, Shearwaters, Petrels, Prions and Skuas.

Day 6 highlights: Storm and Diving Petrels, Shearwaters.

Day 7-11: South Georgia

In the afternoon of day 7 we arrive at our first landing site in South Georgia. If the conditions are right, we can visit the bay of Elsehul, with its very active fur seal breeding beach, and then set course to Right Whale Bay, Salisbury Plain, Godthul, St. Andrews Bay, Gold Harbour, Cooper Bay and Drygalski Fjord, so as to give you a good opportunity to see a wide spectrum of landscapes.

As varied as the landscapes is the wildlife, with reindeer, Elephant seals, Fur seals, and King and Macaroni Penguins, are all present in this region.

One of the highlights will be a visit to Prion Island, where you can witness the breeding efforts of the huge Wandering Albatross and enjoy watching their displays (the island is closed to visitors during breeding season from 20 Nov – 07 Jan). At Fortuna Bay, follow in the footsteps of the great British Explorer Ernest Shackleton and hike over to Stømness Bay.

At Grytviken, you can explore an abandoned whaling village, where King Penguins walk the streets and Seals have taken over the buildings! While in Grytviken, you might also like to visit the Whaling History Museum and Shackleton's grave.

The friendly base personnel will show us their facilities as well as the wonderful views of the surrounding glaciers.

Today’s highlights: Orcadas Station

Day 14: At Sea

At sea en-route to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Day 15-17: Antarctic Peninsula

We will sail into the Weddell Sea through the ice-clogged Antarctic Sound. Huge tabular icebergs will announce our arrival at the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Here we plan to visit Brown Bluff, where we may set foot on the Continent. In good sailing conditions we may decide to extend our time in the Weddell Sea.

The topography of the surrounding area is mountainous, with nunataks rising through the ice. Charlotte Bay is often filled with icebergs. Expect to see seals on floes in Charlotte Bay, and occasionally kelp gulls, skuas, shags, or penguins. In Wilhelmina Bay, we’ll admire the rugged, ice-coated mountains of the Arctowski Peninsula. At Deception Island our ship braves into the entrance of the crater through the spectacular Neptune’s Bellow into the ring of Deception Island.

Deception is a sub-ducted crater, which opens into the sea, creating a natural harbour for the ship. Here we find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of Cape Pigeons and many Dominican Gulls, Brown & South Polar Skuas, and Antarctic Terns. Wilson’s Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm Petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay. We leave from here and sail through the Shetland Islands (Half Moon) to the open sea, en-route to Ushuaia.